Court proceedings began this week for 15 lawsuits filed following a nursing home fire in Hartford, CT, that killed 16 residents, more than two years ago.

The first pretrial conference was held for the lawsuits, which were filed by families of residents who were killed or injured in the fire that broke out at the Greenwood Health Center on Feb. 26, 2003. No action was taken. Families allege the nursing home was understaffed and did not provide emergency training.

Defendants are Nationwide Health Properties Inc., a Newport Beach, CA, company that owned the nursing home at the time of the fire, and Lexington Highgreen Holding Inc., a management company that operated the Greenwood facility.

Lesley Andino, a mentally disturbed resident, is accused of starting the fire when she set her bedding on fire with a cigarette lighter. She has been found incompetent to stand trial in January on 16 counts of arson murder.